YACT: Won't start, no spark *update* *FINALLY FIXED*

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D

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
11,234
4
81
Argh well this ain't going too well. Last Tuesday 11/04/03, I came out of class and my car wouldn't start. I had started it a bunch of times already that day and it fired up right away every time. When my friend came to give me a ride we tried jumping it (in case it was the battery) but no go. It had power and would try turning over (starter was cranking or whatever, but it wouldn't catch and start). Next day, we towed it to a local mechanic who has worked on it before. He thought fuel pump at first, but later says he can't figure out what is wrong, but that it is likely the distributor (he says there was no spark). So, next day, we pull it down to the Mazda dealer telling them we think it is the distributor. Two fvcking days later they finally tell us that they looked at it and it is the distributor and it could cost $500 for the part alone
rolleye.gif
. Then charge us $75 for labor to tell us it was the distributor, even though that's what we told them already... Anyway, we call around and find the distributor for under $200. Ordered it, and will have the same mechanic put it in. Next day, we pull it back to that mechanic with new distributor in hand. Later he calls and says its the WRONG DAMN PART, not even for a Mazda car. The parts store messed up.

Correct distributor ordered, will come next day. Mechanic gets correct one that day (today), installs it, but still it doesn't start. There is no spark still he says. He again says he doesn't know what to do and refers us to some other guy who works on Mazdas but it will take till next FVCKING MONDAY for him to look at it.

So a couple hundred dollars, new distributor, and a week later, I'm still w/o a car.

Anyone have an idea what is wrong? It's a 93 Mazda 626 w/ 147k mi.

Also, is it bad for the auto transmission if it is being pulled all around. It has went several miles being pulled behind the truck, but I think the last time it was moved we had it trailered.
 
vailr

vailr

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,365
54
91
Try cleaning the battery terminals. Use one of those $5 wire brush circular battery terminal cleaners.
If there's hidden corrosion between the battery terminal and the terminal clamp, you would get the symptoms described.
Be careful: Car batteries can produce hydrogen gas and explode.
 
C

Cyberian

Diamond Member
Jun 17, 2000
9,999
1
0
Originally posted by: vailr
Try cleaning the battery terminals. Use one of those $5 wire brush circular battery terminal cleaners.
If there's hidden corrosion between the battery terminal and the terminal clamp, you would get the symptoms described.
Be careful: Car batteries can produce hydrogen gas and explode.
Click to expand...
I don't think the car would turn over with severely dirty battery terminals.

 
G

GalvanizedYankee

Diamond Member
Oct 27, 2003
6,986
0
0
I don't know.

But I had a similar problem with my Dakota. It just died and Auto Club hooked it home.

I put a short piece of hose into the fuel fill port and had someone turn on the key.
The fuel pump will run for a few seconds when the key is just turned on, no starting.
With it held to my ear I could hear the fuel pump running, no problem there.

My problem was also no spark and this is weird. The coil wire where it plugs into the cap was corroded to nothingness. All the other wires looked as new. I can only figure someone before me had had the wire out at one time and contaminated it with fingers full of battery acid.

This was a 4 year old vehicle at the time of this happening...Let us know what it was when you get it fixed..Hope someone here can help you.........
:sun:
 
N

NeoPTLD

Platinum Member
Nov 23, 2001
2,544
2
81
Originally posted by: eagle
Argh well this ain't going too well. Last Tuesday 11/04/03, I came out of class and my car wouldn't start. I had started it a bunch of times already that day and it fired up right away every time. When my friend came to give me a ride we tried jumping it (in case it was the battery) but no go. It had power and would try turning over (starter was cranking or whatever, but it wouldn't catch and start).
Click to expand...

Sounds like your battery connection needs to be corrected or recharged with a charger overnight.

Correct distributor ordered, will come next day. Mechanic gets correct one that day (today), installs it, but still it doesn't start. There is no spark still he says. He again says he doesn't know what to do and refers us to some other guy who works on Mazdas but it will take till next FVCKING MONDAY for him to look at it.
Click to expand...

Go to the wire entering distributor. Can you get it to spark to chasis? If not, check ignition coil is getting power.

yes: test the coil
no: check igniter


Also, is it bad for the auto transmission if it is being pulled all around. It has went several miles being pulled behind the truck, but I think the last time it was moved we had it trailered.
Click to expand...

Make sure you roll it around on non drive-wheels. In your case, it's most likely the rear.
 
I

isekii

Lifer
Mar 16, 2001
28,578
3
81
Could it be the starter.

My first car (Toyota Corolla DX) wouldn't start because the starter went bad.
 
S

Sluggo

Lifer
Jun 12, 2000
15,488
5
81
OK people, car tip #1:

If the engine is turning/cranking at regular speed over as you turn the key there is not one damn thing wrong with the battery or starter.

All the cleaning terminals, jump starting and starter replacement isnt going to do a damn thing.
 
Colt45

Colt45

Lifer
Apr 18, 2001
19,720
1
0
Originally posted by: Sluggo
OK people, car tip #1:

If the engine is turning/cranking at regular speed over as you turn the key there is not one damn thing wrong with the battery or starter.

All the cleaning terminals, jump starting and starter replacement isnt going to do a damn thing.
Click to expand...

ding ding! teh winnar

christ.. some peoples kid's ;)
 
C

Crucial

Diamond Member
Dec 21, 2000
5,026
0
71
This is why a good mechanic is hard to find. Most are just parts changers. They don't figure out what is wrong before replacing parts.

You should follow the path of the srark to find out where it dies. Is their spark at the plug end of the wire? no ok how bout the distributor cap. No? how about the coil? and so on. Find out exactly where it is not getting through before replacing stuff.
 
D

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
11,234
4
81
It's been to like the 3rd mechanic now, and finally yesterday he told us the *new* distributor that is in there is faulty. There are several parts that make up the distributor and one or two of them are bad (ignition module?) so he ordered replacements under warranty and I MIGHT have my car back today finally.
 
C

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
5
0
distributors are a bitch... my celebrity had chronic distributor problems in the last few years.. broken /cracked caps, and really bad idling problems.
 
Q

Quixfire

Diamond Member
Jul 31, 2001
6,892
0
0
Originally posted by: eagle
It's been to like the 3rd mechanic now, and finally yesterday he told us the *new* distributor that is in there is faulty. There are several parts that make up the distributor and one or two of them are bad (ignition module?) so he ordered replacements under warranty and I MIGHT have my car back today finally.
Click to expand...
A lot of reman companies do minor testing when reconditioning parts. You just happen to be the victum of one of those companies.

I know because I when through three distributor on one vehicle and didn't get a good one until I switched vendors.

 
D

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
11,234
4
81
Well one month later and I can finally drive my car again. After the original distributor problem (that the "new" one we purchased was somehow faulty), I got my car back and as soon as I'm driving it, something is up with the exhaust cause it sounds like a friggin ricemobile.. So next day take it in to the shop and I need a new muffler (I swear it was replaced Feb 02 too :(). Oh and there's a nail in the tire so got that fixed.

Next day or so, I'm driving it and it stutters like a mofo. Almost stalls out when I come to stop lights. So we take it back to the shop that fixed distributor and are like "wtf" (they said they had adjusted the timings the first time, so maybe something was wrong with that). Anyway, get it back a day and $117 later, and they had replaced the air and fuel filter. Ok, sounds good, I figured they might need replacing. But, next day, STILL STUTTERS. I'm driving it and I end up turning around and having it stall a ton of times, barely making it home. Just great. It wouldn't start after that.

So the car sits in my driveway for a week or two and part of the time we had our neighbor take a look at it (he is rather hickish, but those dudes know they're cars). He does some testing. First thinks its the fuel pump, but after he does something with the relay, he gets it to start and so it wasn't the fuel pump. Then he thinks its some throttle pos sensor. Couple days later and finally he says there was moisture in the gas tank (it was quite low on gas when it first broke down). I don't know if he removed it or what but either way I get it back because it is running now, and he just told me to add fuel injector cleaner & fill up tank, then when it is down a bit to add HEET. So I added the fuel injector cleaner a couple days ago and will add the heet once I'm lower on gas. As of now, everything appears to be running perfectly.

Finally. What a friggin pain. The worst part?

$100 -> to dealer to "tell us" it was the distributor
$275 -> distributor
$80 -> labor for replacing faulty distributor components
$139 -> new muffler & labor
$116 -> new air, fuel filter & labor
$100 -> ? not sure where this is from but that's what I owe my parents
TOTAL: ~$800 (and one month) :( That's all of my graduation money and a bunch of work pay gone. :disgust:

edit: Oh, and a funny story about this: Earlier on the day when it originally broke down, I was walking out to my car past this kid in my class who was getting into his car and I said "yeah look at that piece of sh*t car" (just playing around, afterall, he has a stratus ;)). So I go into my class and later when I come out to leave, that's when it originally doesn't start and every problem ensued. Maybe I cursed myself. :|
 
D

duragezic

Lifer
Oct 11, 1999
11,234
4
81
Originally posted by: Skoorb
Did i just read that you paid $116 for a new air and fuel filter?
Click to expand...
Yup, well actually I may've mixed up the numbers and the 116 was for labor for something so the air and fuel filter + labor was $105. Pretty weak considering it didn't do anything for the underlying stuttering problem.

 
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